Thus, each person of the Trinity is described as uncreated ( increatus), limitless ( Immensus), eternal ( æternus), and omnipotent ( omnipotens). Enumerating the three persons of the Trinity ( Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), the first section of the creed ascribes the divine attributes to each individually. The Athanasian Creed is usually divided into two sections: lines 1–28 address the doctrine of the Trinity, and lines 29–44 address the doctrine of Christology. Problems playing this file? See media help. The oldest surviving manuscripts of the Athanasian Creed date from the late 8th century. Kelly asserts that Vincent of Lérins was not its author but that it may have come from the same milieu, the area of Lérins in southern Gaul. For example, in the authoritative modern monograph about the creed, J. The 1940 discovery of a lost work by Vincent of Lérins, which bears a striking similarity to much of the language of the Athanasian Creed, has led many to conclude that the creed originated with Vincent or his students. In the late 19th century, there was a great deal of speculation about who might have authored the creed, with suggestions including Ambrose of Milan, Venantius Fortunatus and Hilary of Poitiers. The Christian theology of the creed is firmly rooted in the Augustinian tradition and uses the exact terminology of Augustine's On the Trinity (published 415 AD). The most likely time frame is in the late fifth or early sixth century AD, at least 100 years after Athanasius lived. The use of the creed in a sermon by Caesarius of Arles, as well as a theological resemblance to works by Vincent of Lérins, point to Southern Gaul as its origin. It was most widely circulated among Western Christians.It appears to address theological concerns that developed after Athanasius died (including the filioque).It is not mentioned in any records of the ecumenical councils.Neither Athanasius nor his contemporaries ever mention the Creed.The creed originally was most likely written in Latin, but Athanasius composed in Greek.The reasoning for rejecting Athanasius as the author usually relies on a combination of the following: Athanasius's name seems to have become attached to the creed as a sign of its strong declaration of Trinitarian faith. It has since been widely accepted by modern scholars that the creed was not authored by Athanasius, that it was not originally called a creed at all and that Athanasius's name was not originally attached to it. The traditional attribution of the Creed to Athanasius was first called into question in 1642 by the Dutch Protestant theologian Gerhard Johann Vossius. According to that account, Athanasius composed it during his exile in Rome and presented it to Pope Julius I as a witness to his orthodoxy. The Shield of the Trinity, a visual representation of the doctrine of the Trinity, derived from the Athanasian CreedĪ medieval account credited Athanasius of Alexandria, the famous defender of Nicene theology, as the author of the Creed. It has not been commonly used in the Eastern Church. ĭesigned to distinguish Nicene Christianity from the heresy of Arianism, the Athanasian Creed traditionally was recited at the Sunday Office of Prime in the Western Church. However, part of it can be found as an "Authorized Affirmation of Faith" in the main volume of the Common Worship liturgy of the Church of England published in 2000. Widely accepted in Western Christianity, including by the Roman Catholic Church, some Anglican and Lutheran churches (it is part of the Lutheran confessions set out in the Book of Concord), and ancient liturgical churches, the Athanasian Creed over time has been used in public worship less and less frequently. It differs from the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed and the Apostles' Creed in that it includes anathemas condemning those who disagree with its statements (as does the original Nicene Creed). Used by Christian churches since the sixth century, it was the first creed to explicitly state the equality of the three persons of the Trinity. The Athanasian Creed, also called the Pseudo-Athanasian Creed and sometimes known as Quicunque Vult (or Quicumque Vult), which is both its Latin name and its opening words, meaning "Whosoever wishes", is a Christian statement of belief focused on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. Athanasius of Alexandria was traditionally thought to be the author of the Athanasian Creed, and gives his name to its common title.
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